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Our old friend the Hilton status match / challenge was recently refreshed and continues to be a very compelling offer:

Basically, you get given Hilton Honors Gold status for 90 days. If you stay at least 5 nights (cash bookings) with Hilton during that period, you keep Gold status until March 2023. If you stay 9+ nights during the 90 day period, you will be upgraded to Diamond status and keep that until March 2023.

The idea that you can bag top-tier Diamond status for 2 years after just 9 nights is remarkable! – Particularly as you’d be enjoying Gold perks like free breakfast on those stays anyway.

What’s the catch?

It’s not a catch exactly, but you do need to have elite status with another hotel programme already:

All you have to do is upload screenshots of your status and evidence of a stay with that hotel chain in the last 24 months on the status match web page here.

It is also worth noting the following terms:

• Only members who have not previously completed a status match challenge are eligible.
• Reward stays do not count toward achieving the status match requirements.
• Expect Hilton to take 7-12 business days to process your match.

But, I don’t have elite status…

If you do not have elite status with a competing programme, you cannot take advantage of the Hilton status match / challenge offer, but it is still quite easy to earn Hilton Honors status this year as the requirements have been reduced substantially:

• Reach Silver with 2 stays (only really useful for unlocking fifth night free award bookings)
• Reach Gold with 10 stays
• Reach Diamond with 15 stays

If you prefer longer stays, and/or have some nights rolled over from 2020, you might still be inclined to qualify for elite status via the nights method, which requires:

• 20 nights for Gold
• 30 nights for Diamond

Note that points bookings do count towards status earned without using the status match, so that’s something to bear in mind when deciding what your best option is.

Bottom line

The Hilton status match / challenge is an excellent way to try out elite status with Hilton Honors:

• You get valuable perks with Gold straight away for 90 days
• You can then keep Gold status until March 2023 with just 5 (paid) nights during that 90 days
• Or, you can fast track all the way to top-tier Diamond status with just 9 (paid) nights during the 90 day period.

Once hotel stays are allowed again here in the UK, it is seriously worth having a think about whether Hilton Honors status could make sense for you. Status earned this year now lasts until March 2023, so if you enrolled this Summer, you would still benefit from over a year and half of benefits.

Are you planning hotel stays for later in the year, or is it still too early?

Terms

Hilton reserves the right to decline any application at any time for any reason. Please allow 7 – 12 business days for Hilton Honors to process your request. Hilton may require additional validation in its complete discretion which may take an additional 7 – 12 business days. The 90 day status match trial period starts once approved. Only members who have not previously completed a status match challenge are eligible. Reward stays do not count toward achieving the status match requirements